Back when we were house hunting in 2010 we shared a series of posts that profiled several houses we toured. Even though our search is over this time around, we wanted to revisit nine other homes we casually toured—many on open house days—before we found the one that became ours. We spent an afternoon driving around, taking photos and remembering each property’s memorable features (“That was the one with the phone in the bathroom!” “That was the one with deer in the backyard!”).
The Lake House: This modest home sat only a few blocks from where we live now and had the unbeatable perk of being on the water. It was affordable and charming, but half the living space was on a lower level with very low ceilings, and adding a bathroom there would have been prohibitively expensive. Despite the location and the lakefront appeal, the layout and structural limits made it impractical for our needs.
Note: To respect homeowner privacy we edited the photos—colors and orientations may have been altered and a filter was applied.
The Big Ranch: We love ranch-style layouts, and this one had major potential. It featured a massive, dated kitchen that flowed into a large living room with a prominent fireplace. With thoughtful renovations the central space could have become an open, bright heart of the home. The downside was a somewhat choppy overall layout and a listing price well above our target budget, which pushed it out of contention for us.
The Gray Shaker: At first this house looked promising: it was in our dream neighborhood and listed at a tempting price. But the exterior used an odd siding treatment that read cheaply, and the interior felt broken up by multiple level changes and narrow passageways. Even though the price was attractive, the home didn’t feel cohesive enough to give us the excitement we wanted when buying a long-term house.
The Quirky House: This was the most unusual property on our tour. The remodeled basement—what we jokingly called the “HGTV room”—felt like a yacht cabin, with built-in banquette seating that converted into bunk beds for sleepovers. Strange roof lines, a large stained-glass window at the front, and a price nearly $100K higher than our eventual house made it impractical for us. Still, its distinctive character made it unforgettable.
The Updated House: This contemporary home had almost every space fully renovated, which made it especially inspiring to walk through. It wasn’t in our ideal neighborhood and was significantly more expensive than the house we ultimately bought, but we loved the design choices—especially the oversized fireplace in the kitchen. This was also the house with a quirky phone installed in the bathroom.
The Barn: Located in our preferred neighborhood, this property offered charming features like a circular driveway, a private yard with a deck, and upstairs rooms with peaked ceilings. It struck a nice balance between move-in ready and in need of tasteful updates. However, the price was above our budget and some layout quirks made it less immediately workable than other options.
The Garage Theater House: The house we saw was yellow at the time, though it has since been repainted. Its backyard was outstanding—a large deck and a pergola created great outdoor living potential. The most memorable detail was a garage converted into a theater, complete with dark walls, a projector screen, and impressive surround sound. The sellers noted that converting the space back to a garage would be straightforward, but the listing was outside our price range.
The Pool House: This home was in our favorite neighborhood and boasted an incredible pool and expansive decking. It was tempting to imagine summer gatherings, but the house was priced too high and had higher-maintenance features—such as siding that would eventually need replacement—that made it less appealing as a long-term, budget-friendly choice.
The Double Staircase: Also in our dream neighborhood, this grand home needed updating and was listed well above what we hoped to spend. It felt larger and more formal than our lifestyle required—there were two staircases, after all—but it was still fun to imagine the possibilities. Walking through it made us wish for a smaller, less grand version with the same layout and charm at a more reasonable price.
Less than two weeks after touring these properties we spotted a for-sale sign and followed it to a quiet cul-de-sac. The house we found there was the same size as our current home, comfortably within our budget—nearly $100K less than many of the other options we had casually seen—and in need of plenty of work. Because of that, making an offer was the easiest decision we made during the whole search.
This is a reminder that casually walking through open houses and exploring local real estate can unexpectedly lead to finding the right home. If you’re house hunting, keep an open mind, pay attention to layout and maintenance needs, and let both your heart and practical concerns guide you.